The Story of the Leaky Con Registration

'Cause out of all the people I've known
The places I've been
The songs I have sung
The wonders I've seen
Now that the dreams are all coming true
Who is the one that leads me on through?
It's you
Who puts me in the magic position, darling now
You put me in the magic position
To live, to learn, to love in the major key


Yes. I'M GOING TO LEAKY CON!
And Dinah told me I should blog about it... so I am!

Our story sets about 8 months ago. I'd heard about Leaky Con and other conferences, but my family was going skiing, and we'd just been to New York, so obviously, another trip to America was out of the question.

Or was it?

I moaned at my parents relentlessly for half a year, but kept getting the 'It would cost way too much this close'/'We're not taking you halfway across the world to meet a load of internet people'/'What would we do all day while you're off gallivanting?'/'We wouldn't be able to find a chaperone'/'And we're not letting you go alone, what sort of parents do you think we are?'/etc etc, you can imagine.

So I really thought I had no chance. By this time, I had taken to checking the flight prices religiously every day. I take business studies in school, and for a project, we have to set up a mini-enterprise. I did this with my friend Claire, selling cookies, doughnuts and the like around our school. It's real in that you can keep the profit, with 20% going to a charity of your choice (tax). We did this, and ended up making (excl. tax) £120, with around £60 each: A respectable amount considering we'd only sold for a week in school! This was the money I'd need to add to my current stash to afford a flight- I was almost there! I guessed I'd come to hotel costs and registration later. (Ok! I was being crazy, but I wanted to go SO MUCH!)

About a month ago, I thought I'd be clever and construct a small spreadsheet on excel, which would let me know how much I still had to save for everything. I needed about £300 extra. My mum saw me working on this, and kept telling me to stop, that I was being crazy. She said that even had I found all the money, she wouldn't have let me go abroad alone. I was an emo bunny. Not happy.

Easter! To be honest, it's never been my favourite holiday. I like the chocolate, but I've always found it quite boring after you've thanked the easter bunny. ;)
I woke up on easter morning to the sound of my mum's shouting voice from downstairs.
'The easter bunny's been!' Come on, quick!
I rolled out of bed and dragged myself down the stairs. I went into the kitchen and had a cup of tea (my favourite thing to do, ever) with my mum and dad. My mum picked up the video camera.
'You're filming me!?' I asked
'Yes! We need more footage of us all together!' Replied mum.
'Tada!' Exclaimed my dad, producing a plain looking easter egg from behind his back.
'Thanks!' I said, looking at the egg. It wasn't even branded! Come on! I was at least hoping for a little Buttons one!
'Open it, El!' My mum said, 'I really fancy some chocolate!'
I looked at the egg of her own she was holding. 'Open your own!' I said!
'No, I really fancy THAT chocolate,' she said, pointing at my egg.
'Alright,' I agreed.
My mum, dad, and camera watched in anticipation as a tapped the egg on the table. A clear line was visible where I had cracked it. I broke a piece off and handed it to my mum, when I noticed something inside the egg.
'What's that?' I asked, assuming it was some sort of free gift with the egg.
I broke the egg in half and realised it appeared to be a scroll of parchment.
I looked at my mum, and she shrugged, so untied the gold ribbon and unrolled the scroll. I read it. I read it again. And again. And again.

Registration. For. Leaky. Con.
No.

'Is this real!?' I asked
'It would be a pretty nasty joke if it wasn't!' Said my dad.
And then I started crying. I am so happy right now.

I have a blog!

And then I feel a change
Like a fire deep inside
Something bursting me wide open impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm flying, flying like a bird
Like electricity, electricity
Sparks inside of me
And I'm free, I'm free


So I went to London yesterday to see Billy Elliot at The Victoria Palace. It was absolutely fantasitic, but I couldn't stop crying! All he wanted to do was dance, bless his cotton socks. And now I can't stop singing the songs. I must be a very annoying person to be around.

Anyway, we broke up from school today, which is good. But a bit sad, because I like school a little too much.